Dipping cabinet

ABSTRACT

A refrigerated cabinet ( 10 ) includes a cabinet base ( 20 ) defining an open top compartment having a refrigerated interior for housing a refrigerated product ( 50 ) and a canopy ( 30 ) disposed atop the refrigerated compartment. A transparent glass window in the front wall of the canopy ( 30 ) is extended downwardly to the product fill line within the refrigerated compartment thereby expanding the customer view area. The rear wall of the canopy ( 30 ) includes a transparent service door ( 40 ) and a framework ( 42 ). The service door ( 40 ) may be rotated independently of the framework ( 42 ) to an open position providing service access to the refrigerated compartment. The service door ( 40 ) and the framework ( 42 ) may also be rotated together as a unit to a second open position to provide access to the refrigerated compartment for cleaning and sanitizing. A lamp ( 80 ) for illuminating the cabinet interior is disposed externally of the canopy ( 30 ).

[0001] This application claims benefit of provisional application serialNo. 60/237,279, filed Oct. 2, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to refrigerated cabinetsof the type used in commercial application for housing containers offrozen confection to be hand dipped. More specifically, the presentinvention relates to an improved canopy for a dipping cabinet.

[0003] Typically, refrigerated dipping cabinets are horizontal cabinetshaving a front wall, a back wall, and end walls, all of the same height.The four walls define an open compartment for housing the containers offrozen confection, to be served, for example not only ice cream, butalso frozen yogurt, sherbet, sorbet and the like. The walls are commonlyof the “cold wall” type having interior and exterior sheet metal skinssurrounding a thermally insulating core wherein refrigerant tubing ismounted to the reverse side of the inner sheet metal skin. Coldrefrigerant is circulated through the refrigerant tubing to cool theinterior skin, while heat is transferred from the product to the coldinterior skin of the surrounding walls by radiation and conduction toensure a stable stratification of cold, dense air is maintained withinthe cabinet. This thermal stability, which improves with the depth ofthe tank, is essential to maintain the proper consistency and quality ofthe frozen product.

[0004] Generally, to comply with safety and health codes, dippingcabinets are provided with a tent-like canopy supported atop the fourwalls of the cabinet. Customers can view the product through a windowprovided in the front wall of the canopy on the front, that is customerside, of the cabinet. Additionally, the canopy has a rear wall having aservice access on the back side, that is server side, of the cabinet.Generally, these canopies are constructed with a single pane glass frontwindow and a rear lid of a thermally formed clear acrylic orpolycarbonate-type plastic sheet. The individual serving the customeraccesses the frozen confection for scooping through the service accessprovided in the rear wall on the server side of the canopy. A cover,typically either a hinged lid or a pair of sliding doors, is providedfor closing the service access when access is not being made to theinterior of the canopied cabinet.

[0005] In low temperature refrigerated cabinets, such as dippingcabinets, the product fill line is customarily several inches below thetop edge of the cabinet. This open volume is necessary to provide spacefor a layer of cold refrigerated air over the top of the frozen productto protect the product from the warm ambient air in the store. However,because the product is recessed somewhat below the top edge of thecabinet, customers can not ready view the product through the frontwindow in the canopy of the cabinet, particularly product stored in thefront region of the cabinet interior.

[0006] In operation, a certain amount of moist, warm ambient air willinevitably enter the cabinet from the store through the service accesswhen open. Frost formation occurs when this moist, warm air contacts thecold wall on the cabinet interior, particularly on the upper portion ofthe cabinet bounding the space forming the open volume above the foodproduct. Often, a plurality of detachable frost shields, comprisingsubstantially planar panels, are mounted to the upper interior wall ofthe cabinet to provide a removal surface on which the frost can collect,rather than collecting directly on the cabinet interior walls. Todefrost the cabinet, the frost shields are removed from the cabinet andthe frost thereon readily removed, typically by contacting the frostwith hot water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is an object of one aspect of the present invention to providea refrigerated cabinet having an improved canopy.

[0008] It is an object of one particular aspect of the present inventionto provide a canopy through which an improved view of the product withinthe cabinet may be had.

[0009] It is an object of another particular aspect of the presentinvention to provide a canopy with a frost-free glass window throughwhich the product within the refrigerated cabinet may be viewed.

[0010] A refrigerated cabinet is provided having a cabinet base definingan open top compartment having a refrigerated interior for housing arefrigerated product and a canopy disposed atop the refrigeratedcompartment. The cabinet base has a front wall, a back wall and endwalls, the front wall being shorter in height than said back wall. Thecanopy has a front wall having a transparent window through which thecabinet interior may be viewed, and a back wall having a service door.The service door moveable between a closed position and an open positionto provide access to the cabinet interior.

[0011] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the frontwall of the canopy and the transparent window extend downwardly to thefront wall of said cabinet whereby the view of the cabinet interior isexpanded.

[0012] In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, thetransparent window of the front wall of the canopy advantageously is atempered glass window, and most advantageously a thermopane glass windowhaving at least a first glass pane and a second glass pane disposed inspaced relationship with an insulating gap therebetween. Anelectroconductive coating may be deposited on a lower portion of atleast one glass pane of the transparent window of the front wall of thecanopy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The present invention will be described herein with reference tothe drawing wherein:

[0014]FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevation view of the refrigeratedcabinet of the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevation view of the refrigeratedcabinet of the present invention with the service door of the canopy inthe open position;

[0016]FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation view of the refrigeratedcabinet of the present invention with the rear wall of the canopy in theopen position;

[0017]FIG. 4 is an expanded sectional side view of the lower portion ofthe front wall of the cabinet base of the refrigerated cabinet of FIG.1;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the refrigerated cabinet of thepresent invention taken generally from the front of the cabinet;

[0019]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the refrigerated cabinet of thepresent invention taken generally from the rear of the cabinet;

[0020]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the refrigerated cabinet of thepresent invention taken generally from the rear of the cabinet showingthe service door in an open position;

[0021]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the refrigerated cabinet of thepresent invention taken generally from the rear of the cabinet showingthe service door and framework as a unit in an open position; and

[0022]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a prior art dipping cabinet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0023] The canopied refrigerated cabinet of the present invention willbe described herein in a preferred embodiment as an ice cream dippingcabinet. It is to be understood, however, that the canopied refrigeratedcabinet of the present invention is generally applicable in variousembodiments as refrigerated display cases wherein customer viewing andservice access are required. Therefore, it is to be understood that thepresent invention and the various aspects thereof are not limited to theembodiments illustrated in the drawing.

[0024] Referring now to the drawing, the refrigerated cabinet 10 isdepicted as an ice cream dipping cabinet. In the depicted embodiment,the cabinet 10 includes a refrigerated base 20 and a canopy 30 supportedupon the base 20. The refrigerated base 20 includes an outer shell 12and an interior refrigerated liner 14 disposed in spaced relationshipand capped by a trim member 16. So constructed, the base 20 defines abox-like enclosure having a front wall 13, a rear wall 15 and side walls17, a floor and an open top. Typically, the walls and floor of the liner14 are each formed of a metallic, conventionally stainless steel,support sheet with a vinyl layer coated on the observe side thereof. Theliner 14 encloses a refrigerated volume 23 in which refrigerated product50 is stored, usually up to the product fill line 21. In the case of anice cream dipping cabinet, the refrigerated product 50 may, for example,constitute hard ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, sherbet or otherfrozen confection.

[0025] The outer shell 12 surrounds the liner 14 in spaced relationshipabout the four side walls and floor thereof. An insulating material 18,for example a foamed in place polyurethane material, disposed in thespace between the outer shell 12 and the liner 14 thermally isolates therefrigerated liner 14 from the outer shell 12, which is exposed to roomtemperature, and adds structure integrity to the cabinet. The liner 14is cooled in a conventional manner by means of evaporator tubing 22mounted to or otherwise disposed in heat exchange relationship with theback surface of the liner 14. The evaporator tubing is part of aconventional refrigeration circuit (not shown) wherein compressedrefrigerant from a compressor is expanded via a thermal expansiondevise, passed through the evaporator tubing, thence through a condenserbefore returning to the compressor. As the refrigerant, for exampleR-22, R-404a or other commercially available refrigerant, passes throughthe evaporator tubing, the refrigerant evaporates upon absorbing heatthrough the liner 14 from the air within the refrigerated volume,thereby cooling the air and the product to maintain a desiredtemperature. In this manner, a layer of cold air is maintained in thevolume 25 above the product 50, which as noted before normally fills therefrigerated enclosure up to the product fill line 21.

[0026] The refrigerated base 20 of the cabinet 10 as describedhereinbefore and depicted in FIG. 1, is of the conventional “cold wall”construction. For further discussion of this construction, reference maybe made to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/639,467, filedAug. 9, 2000, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference. It is to be understood, however, that theparticular construction of the base 20 or the particular method ofrefrigerating the base 20 is not germane to the present invention. Forexample, the cabinet base 20 may be constructed with cold refrigeratedair circulating through an open passage between an outer wall and aninner wall as disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/016,824, filed Jan. 20, 1998, the entire disclosure of which ishereby incorporated herein by reference.

[0027] The canopy 30 has a top wall 32, a front wall 34 on the customerside of the cabinet 10, side walls 36, and a rear wall 38 on the serviceside, i.e. the backside, of the cabinet 10. The top wall 32 is supportedupon and extends between the side walls 36 and the front wall 34. Thefront wall 34 comprises a transparent window 35, made of a transparentmaterial, supported in a frame 37. The window 35 provides a customerview area through which a customer may view the product 50 stored withinthe refrigerated volume 23. The side walls 36 may be made of stainlesssteel or other metal, molded plastic, or, if desired, of a support frameand a panel of a transparent material mounted within the frame.

[0028] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, thetransparent front wall 34, including its window 35, is extendeddownwardly toward the product fill line 17, and most advantageously downto the product fill line 17, thereby increasing the customer view area.As depicted in the drawing, to accommodate the downward extension of thetransparent front wall 34 of the canopy 30, the front wall 13 of thecabinet base 20 is foreshortened to a height that is lower than theheight of the rear wall 15 and side walls 17 of the cabinet base 20.Generally, in the refrigerated cabinet of the present invention, thefront wall 13 will be several inches, for example about six inches,shorter than the side walls and rear wall of the cabinet base 20. Thelower portion of the front wall 34 of the canopy 30, with its window 35,extends downwardly to meet and seal with the trim member 16 capping thefront wall 13 of the cabinet base 20. By extending the front wall 34 andits window 35 downwardly, the view area is increased and children arenow able to see the various ice cream flavors within the refrigeratedcabinet, as best illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0029] The window 35 in the front wall 34 of the canopy 30 may be formedas a single piece, flat or arcuate, of molded, transparent plastic orPlexiglas material. However, more advantageously, the window 35 is amulti-pane thermal window having two or more panes disposed in spacedrelationship thereby forming an insulating air space therebetween. Mostadvantageously, the window 35, whether flat or arcuate, comprises such athermal window with a pair of spaced glass panes 35′ and 35″.

[0030] As the lower portion of the window 35 bordering the refrigeratedvolume 27 will come in direct contact with moisture entering the cabinetbase 20 when the service door is open, it is advantageous to heat thislower portion of the window 35 to prevent frost formation. Frost wouldobscure the view of the product 50 through the frosted portion of thewindow 35. According, as illustrated in FIG. 4, an electroconductivecoating 70 may be applied to at least the lower portion of one of thepanes, for example to the inside surface of the lower portion of outsidepane 35′. Busbars (not shown) in contact with the electroconductivecoating an connected to a power supply provide a means of supplyingelectric current across the electroconductive coating. Electricalcurrent is selectively passed through the electroconductive coating toheat the window sufficiently to maintain the window at a temperatureabove the local dew point thereby precluding frost formation on theinside surface of the inside panel 35″ or condensation on the outsidesurface of the outside panel 35′, but avoiding undesirable heating ofthe product 50 in the refrigerated cabinet 10.

[0031] The rear wall 38 of the canopy 30 comprises a transparent servicedoor 40 carried on a framework 42. Although the service door 40 may bemade of a transparent plastic material or Plexiglas, as in conventionaldipping cabinets, most advantageously, the service door 40 is a panel offlat, tempered glass. Tempered glass is considerably stronger thanplastic materials and has greater structural rigidity. Further, temperedgalss is not as easily marred, scratched or broken.

[0032] The service door 40 and the framework 42 are carried on a supportsystem 60 comprising hinges 41 and two sets of paired gas springs 62 and64 and adapted to pivot about different respective centers of rotationas best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Each gas spring 62 connects at itsdistal end to a hinge 41 mounted to the framework 42 and at its proximalend to a support bracket 63 mounted on the respective side wall 36. Theservice door 40 pivots about a first center of rotation through a pivotpin 65 in each hinge 41. Each gas spring 64 connects at its distal endto the framework 42 and its proximal end to a support bracket 67 mountedon the side wall 36. The framework 42 pivots about a second center ofrotation through the pivot pins 69 supported on the respective side wall36. A set of support brackets 63 and 67 and pivot pin 69 are provided ineach of the side walls 36.

[0033] In the closed position, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6, the rearwall 38 is held at a nominal 45 degree angle with its lower end insealing contact with the trim member 16 on the rear wall 15 of thecabinet base 20 and with its upper end in sealing contact with the topwall 32 of the canopy 30. The sides of the rear wall 38 of the canopy 30are in sealing contact with the respective side walls 36 of the canopy30. Most advantageously, the sealing function is accomplished by gasketscarried on one or more of the edges of the rear wall 38, the top wall32, or the side walls 36. Additionally, in the closed position, theservice door 40 is pressed against the framework 42 and held in thatposition by the action of the gas springs.

[0034] In a further aspect of the present invention, a lamp 80, mostadvantageously a fluorescent light, is mounted to the top wall 32 of thecanopy 30 at a position external to the canopy interior when the rearwall is in its closed position as best illustrated in FIG. 6.Conventional dipping cabinets typically have a lamp mounted to the topwall of the canopy but positioned within the cabinet interior. Sopositioned within the canopy, the heat energy radiated from the lamp istrapped within the refrigerated interior of the cabinet 10, therebyincreasing the cooling load on the refrigeration system and potentiallywarming and softening the ice cream product. Also, high-energywavelengths from the lamp tend to break down the product chemistrycausing discoloration. By positioning the lamp exteriorly of the cabinet10 in accordance with the present invention, the heat energy form thelamp is dissipated to the environment outside the refrigerated cabinet.Also, the high-energy wavelength light may be reflected by the servicedoor 40, while only the lower energy wavelength light passes through thetransparent service door 40 to illuminate the interior of therefrigerated cabinet 10. The tempered glass panel forming the servicedoor 40 in the preferred embodiment may be coated with an appropriatematerial to enhance blocking of the high-energy wavelength light fromentering the refrigerated cabinet. If desired, the tempered glass panelforming the service door 40 may be coated with an electroconductive filmwhereby electrical current may be applied to the coating to selectivelyheat the glass panel to prevent fogging from condensation and/orfrosting.

[0035] To access the interior of the refrigerated cabinet 10 for dippingthe ice cream product 50, the service attendant merely pushes theservice door 40 inward. Pushing downwardly on the lower portion of theservice door 40 causes the service door 40 to rotate inwardly about thefirst center of rotation 63 together with the gas spring hinges 62 whichpivot within their respective support brackets 65. The service door 40rotates forward to rest against one or more stops in its open position,as best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 7. When opened, the service door 40affords easy access to the product 50 within the interior of therefrigerated cabinet 10, while not obstructing the customer's view.

[0036] In the depicted embodiment of the cabinet 10, the service door 40and framework 42, which together form the rear wall 38 of the canopy 30,move upwardly and outwardly, about the second center of rotation 67,thereby facilitating cleaning of the interior of the refrigeratedcabinet 10. Lifting the lower portion of the service door 40 causes theservice door 40 and framework 42 to pivot together as a single unitthrough a nominal angle of about ninety degrees to an open position, asbest illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 8. The gas spring hinges 64 function tohold the service door 40 and framework 42 in place in the open positionand also assist in lifting this unit to the open position. Latches areprovided at the lower corners of the service door 40 that areselectively engaged to lock the service door 40 to the framework 42 sothat the service door 40 and framework 42 form a unit that may berotated upwardly and outwardly to access the interior of the cabinet 10for cleaning and sanitizing. When the latches are disengaged, theservice door 40 may be rotated inwardly independently of the framework42 to provide service access to the product 50.

[0037] Various modifications and adaptations of the embodiments of therefrigerated cabinet of the present invention as hereinbefore describedmay be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that may be madewithout departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention,the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

1. A refrigerated cabinet comprising: a cabinet base having a frontwall, a back wall and end walls defining an open top compartment havinga refrigerated interior for housing a refrigerated product, said frontwall being shorter in height than said back wall; and a canopy disposedatop said compartment, said canopy having a front wall having atransparent window through which the cabinet interior may be viewed, anda back wall having a service door, the service door moveable between aclosed position and an open position to provide access to the cabinetinterior, said canopy front wall and said transparent window extendingdownwardly to said front wall of said cabinet whereby the view of thecabinet is expanded.
 2. A refrigerated cabinet as recited in claim 1wherein said transparent window of the front wall of said canopycomprises a tempered glass window.
 3. A refrigerated cabinet as recitedin claim 1 wherein said transparent window of said front wall of saidcanopy comprises a thermopane glass window having at least a first glasspane and a second glass pane disposed in spaced relationship with aninsulating gap therebetween.
 4. A refrigerated cabinet as recited inclaim 3 further comprising an electroconductive coating deposited on alower portion of at least one glass pane of said transparent window ofsaid front wall of said canopy.